The effect of sin in our world is pervasive and deadly, hardening our hearts towards God and numbing us to the concerns of others. Failure to recognise the corrosive damage sin inflicts on our minds and in our world leaves us unable to interpret much of what goes on within and around us. We will be looking at the book of Esther and the decisions of King Xerxes, ruler of the enormous Persian empire, to see how they illustrate this for us. What does this mean for us? Thankfully, God delights to redeem all that sin has corrupted if we choose to turn to him. We are encouraged by Paul in his letter to the Romans not to be conformed to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is in the light of God’s word and under the influence of the Holy Spirit that God is able to renew us, he does not act without our consent. It is imperative that we recognise our need for renewal in order to be the salt and light that we have been commanded to be for the world around us, pointing to our Father the source of hope for the world.